Health food products

ABSTRACT

An object of the present invention is to provide a very effective health food exhibiting the effect near that which has been already achieved by the traditional Chinese medical science. The present invention relates to a health food product comprising cholic acid, especially to a health food product comprising cholic acid and isoflavone and/or isoflavone glycoside.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to novel health food products. Thepresent invention relates to novel nutritional food products useful forproviding effective elements to a health conscious population.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] One of the bases of the traditional Chinese medical science is tokeep the human body in a normal state at all times. There has been aconcept called “Ki-Ketsu-Sui (

)” in order to achieve such an object. Further, concrete means andmethods have been known already based upon the said concept.

[0003] However, the concept has been explained with a philosophicalexpression peculiar to China. The means and methods therefor are basedon applications of products which are prepared by dryingnaturally-occurring materials only. Since those are the concept which ishardly understood and the means/methods which are hardly accepted in theworld of scientific culture, such a precise traditional Chinese medicalscience has been rarely utilized outside China.

[0004] In the meanwhile, an article entitled “

-

(Chinese Medical Science Expected by the People—Methodology forScientific Way of Thinking Thereof)” was reported in Chinese Journal ofInformation on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Vol. 6, No. 4, April, 1999(which is one of the authorized medical journals published in China). Inthis article, the portions related to science covered by the concept of“Ki-Ketsu-Sui” have been explained using scientific terms which are thecommon languages throughout the world.

[0005] Thus, the science covered by the concept of “Ki-Ketsu-Sui” isbriefly explained as follows:

[0006] (1) the science covered by the term “Ki (

) ” refers to those steadily operating all functions inherent in humanbodies,

[0007] (2) the science covered by the term “Ketsu (

) ” refers to those supplying a substance necessary for achieving suchfunctions via blood vessels into the body, and

[0008] (3) the science covered by the term “Sui (

) ” refers those well supplying such a necessary substance carried viathe blood vessels to a site where there is no blood vessel as well,provided that the route for the necessary substance at that time is awater flow formed from the inside to the outside of the body.

[0009] As shown in the case where a large number of already-existingscientific theories have been infinitely developed as a result of theiradvent, the fact that entirely new scientific concept has been expressedas the medical theory included in the traditional Chinese medicalscience leads to a supply of new medical means to the world of theWestern medical science. It firstly provides a possibility that we willbe able to practice prevention of diseases, potentiation of naturalhealing power and acceleration of recovery after the disease, which havebeen available merely as the terms even in the Western medical scienceup to now.

[0010] In addition, this new medical theory markedly facilitates thedetermination of effective ingredients necessary for achieving themedically theoretical part, which ingredients are contained in each ofcrude drugs used as materials in the traditional Chinese medicalscience. As a result, it enables us to convert all materials used forpractice of this new medical theory into effective and activeingredients with high purity.

[0011] The most important requirement for health foods which all thepeople can utilize is at least less expensive in view of product's pricethan multi-vitamin drugs which are currently available in the market.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present inventor has found that cholic acid is an effectivecomponent for guaranteeing the in vivo transport of substances necessaryfor achieving the functions of human body via blood vessels.

[0013] The present inventor has also found that isoflavones andisoflavone glycosides, particularly soybean isoflavones and soybeanisoflavone glycosides, have an action of accelerating the in vivo waterflow which is a means for supplying substances (carried by bloodvessels) necessary for achieving the functions to various body partswhere no blood vessels run.

[0014] Further, the present inventor has found that cholic acid isadmixed with at least one member selected from isoflavones andisoflavone glycosides, especially soybean isoflavones and soybeanisoflavone glycoside, to afford an excellent health food with asynergistic effect.

[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide, based upon sucha new theory, very effective health foods each exhibiting the effectnear that which has already been achieved by the traditional Chinesemedical science from ancient times.

[0016] The present invention relates to health food products eachcomprising cholic acid, in particular to health food products eachcomprising cholic acid in admixture with isoflavone and/or isoflavoneglycoside.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The health food products of the present invention may be ingestedby any means. Because all healthy people desire to prevent diseases,natural healing power is a force which is achieved by patient's body perse for all diseases whereby all patients desire to achieve the naturalhealing power, together with the conventional Western medical therapy,and all post-diseased people released from the Western medical symptomsdesire the recovery after the disease, it is desirable that the healthfood products of the present invention are ingested on a daily basis.

[0018] The particularly preferable isoflavone includes soybeanisoflavones comprised in soybean. The particularly preferable isoflavoneglycoside includes soybean isoflavone glycosides comprised in soybean.

[0019] The daily dose of cholic acid is preferably 1 to 1000 mg, morepreferably 2 to 300 mg, and most preferably 10 to 100 mg. The daily doseof isoflavone is preferably 1 to 500 mg, more preferably 5 to 200 mg,and most preferably 10 to 100 mg. The daily dose of isoflavone glycosideis preferably 1 to 500 mg, more preferably 5 to 200 mg, and mostpreferably 10 to 100 mg.

[0020] In accordance with the present invention, it is allowable thatthe health food product contains cholic acid, preferably both cholicacid and isoflavone and/or isoflavone glycoside. It is also allowablethat the health food product is in admixture with other ingredientsincluding vitamins, heme Fe, prune extracts (Prunus Domestica fruitextracts), crude drugs or vegetable and animal drugs (galenicals;“SHOU-YAKU” as pronounced in Japanese) including those capable ofactivating or stimulating the functions of organs, glands and bloodvessels, all controlled by autonomic nerves, those capable of aidingdigestion, and others.

[0021] The crude drugs of 10 or more kinds have been known as thosecapable of activating or stimulating the functions of organs, glands andblood vessels, all controlled by autonomic nerves. Examples of suchcrude drugs are ginseng (Ginseng Radix, Panax Ginseng), etc. Some ofactive elements have been revealed for not only ginseng but also suchcrude drugs.

[0022] Accordingly, such active elements can be preferably admixedtherewith. The admixture of such active elements will lead toachievement of activating body-functions.

[0023] The particularly preferable crude drugs include Ginseng (PanaxGinseng or Ginseng Radix), Codonopsitis Radix, Psuodostellariae Radix,American Ginseng, Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Rhizoma, DioscoreaeRhizoma, Glycyrrhia (Glycyrrhizae Radix), Jujube Fruit (Zizyphi Fructus,Zizyphus vulgaris), Dulcium (malt sugar derived from Oryza seed),

Polygonati Rhizoma,

(

) (“SHI-YO-U-JIN” as pronounced in Japanese), etc.

[0024] The particularly preferable crude drugs capable of aidingdigestion include

Crataegi Fructus, Massa Medicata Fermentat, Raphani Semen, FructusHordei Germinatus,

(

) (“KOKU-GA” as pronounced in Japanese; Fructus Oryzae Germinatus),Galli Stomachichum Corium, Asa Foetida, etc.

[0025] The health food products of the present invention can be eaten asconventional forms including powdery, solid, and liquid forms. Materialsfor admixture include lactose, starch, vegetable oil, etc.

[0026] Biles of livestock such as cattle and pigs comprise taurocholicacid which can be hydrolyzed to form taurine. Taurine is in great demandfor starting materials in oder to prepare foods and its production ishigh. In its production process, cholic acid as used herein is alsoproduced in large amounts. This production of cholic acid is more thanenough to use as a source for reagents. Most of cholic acid are treatedas industrial wastes and are therefore extremely inexpensive.

[0027] Other materials as used herein include isoflavones and isoflavoneglycosides.

[0028] The active elements contained in soybean are several species ofisoflavone glycosides including daidzin, glycitin, genistin, etc. andaglycons thereof, i.e., several species of isoflavones includingdaidzein, glycitein, genistein, etc.

[0029] The soybean is a starting material for producing soybean oil.There is a great demand for soybean oil. Therefore, large amounts ofsoybean oil are manufactured together with large amounts of by-products,soybean cakes. Although part of such soybean cakes are employed assources for preparing soybean proteins, etc. which are startingmaterials for food products, the soybean cake is mainly used for afertilizer or feed for livestock and its price is therefore extremelylow. The soybean cakes which are almost industrial wastes can be used asstarting materials to produce inexpensively soybean isoflavones andsoybean isoflavone glycosides with high purity.

EXAMPLES

[0030] Described below are examples of the present invention which areprovided for illustrative purposes.

[0031] Cholic acid as used in examples is set to be 90% in purity.Soybean isoflavone glycoside as used in examples is set to be 40% inpurity.

Example 1 Powders

[0032] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, lactose2700 mg, cornstarch 1100 mg, light anhydrous silicic acid 5 mg, andmagnesium stearate 10 mg (total 4000 mg, 2 g per powder paper, twice aday).

[0033] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was blended to afford powders in the samefashion as above.

Example 2 Granular forms

[0034] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, lactose2700 mg, cornstarch 800 mg, crystalline cellulose 300 mg, lightanhydrous silicic acid 5 mg, and magnesium stearate 10 mg (total 4000mg).

[0035] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was granulated to afford granules in the samefashion as above.

Example 3 Spherical granules

[0036] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, lactose515 mg, cornstarch 400 mg, Prunus mume fruit powders (“KAN-BAI-KO” aspronounced in Japanese) 500 mg, and crystalline cellulose 400 mg (total2000 mg).

[0037] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was granulated to afford spherical granules inthe same fashion as above.

Example 4 Tablets

[0038] Cholic acid 140 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 280 mg, lactose4000 mg, carboxymethylcellulose calcium 320 mg, hydroxypropylcellulose74 mg, crystalline cellulose 700 mg, CARPLEX 30 mg, and magnesiumstearate 10 mg (total 5554 mg, 280 mg per tablet, 5 tablets per dose,twice a day).

[0039] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was compressed to afford tablets in the samefashion as above.

Example 5 Hard capsules

[0040] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg,cornstarch 959 mg, and magnesium stearate 9 mg (total 1153 mg, #1capsule, 4 capsules a day).

[0041] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was blended and packed to afford hard capsulesin the same fashion as above.

Example 6 Soft capsules

[0042] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, yellowbeeswax 55 mg, and edible oil 960 mg (total 1200 mg, 4 capsules a day).

[0043] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was blended and packed to afford soft capsulesin the same fashion as above.

Example 7 Drink

[0044] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, ginsengextract 1500 mg, Euphoria longan extract 100 mg, shisandra fruitfluidextract 300 mg, royal jelly 150 mg, riboflavin sodium phosphate 10mg, ethanol 1.2 ml, parahydroxybonzoic acid 4 mg, and purified water qs(total 50ml).

[0045] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was mixed to afford drinks in the same fashionas above.

Example 8 Granules

[0046] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, thiaminhydrochloride 10 mg, pyridoxine hydrochloride 100 mg, hydroxocobalaminhydrochloride 1.027 mg, tocopherol acetate 100 mg, lactose 2700 mg,crystalline cellulose 300 mg, light anhydrous silicic acid 5 mg,magnesium stearate 10 mg, and cornstarch qs (total 4000 mg, 2 g percontainer, twice a day).

[0047] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was granulated to afford granules in the samefashion as above.

Example 9 Capsules

[0048] Cholic acid 60 mg, soybean isoflavone glycoside 125 mg, vitamin Aoil 4 mg, cholecalciferol 0.005 mg, tocopherol acetate 10 mg, vitamin C600 mg, crystalline cellulose 250 mg, magnesium stearate 6 mg, andcornstarch qs (total 1150 mg, #1 capsule, 4 capsules a day).

[0049] A formula except that soybean isoflavone glycoside was replacedwith soybean isoflavone was blended and packed to afford capsules in thesame fashion as above.

[0050] An object of the present invention is to keep the body in anormal state so as to prevent a disease, to promote natural healingpower to the disease, and to accelerate the recovery after the disease.However, in order to collect the medical data therefor, it is necessarynot only to test several ten thousand patients but also to take a longperiod which is nearly as long as one's life and therefore itsrealization is extremely difficult.

[0051] As a result of a preliminary administration experiment, it wasnoted in several persons who ingested cholic acid alone that troubles bydrinking an alcoholic beverage were ameliorated (presumably related tothe science of “Ketsu”) while it was characteristically noted in severalpersons who ingested soybean isoflavone alone or soybean isoflavoneglycoside alone that an evacuation was improved (presumably related tothe science covered by “Sui”).

[0052] Further, in order to prove the advantage of the joint use of boththe elements, three kinds of samples:

[0053] (a) a sample of cholic acid alone,

[0054] (b) a sample of soybean isoflavone glycoside alone, and

[0055] (c) a sample of cholic acid in admixture with soybean isoflavoneglycoside,

[0056] were each administered for 2 months to each group containing 30persons to be tested. The results were investigated.

[0057] The results are shown in Table as follows: TABLE Signifi-Alcoholic cantly beverage No Feces Evacuation recovered tasted hangoveramount became from good noted increased easy fatigue soybean  2 Persons 1 Person  5 Persons  3 Persons No Person isoflavone glycoside groupcholic acid  8 Persons  4 Persons No Person  1 Person No Person cholic25 Persons 23 Persons 26 Persons 20 Persons 28 Persons acid + soybeanisoflavone glycoside group

[0058] As apparent from this Table, when cholic acid was admixed withsoybean isoflavone glycosides, most of the administered persons showed asignificant recovery from fatigue. Such results show that cholic acidcan be orally administered in admixture with soybean isoflavoneglycosides with a new efficacy which was not noted in the case of a soleuse of each single component, as compared with the sole use of each ofsoybean isoflavone glycosides and cholic acid.

[0059] For soybean isoflavones, it is ascertained that an efficacythereof similar to that of soybean isoflavone glycosides was obtained.

[0060] Such results as noted in the Table show that the two componentscan be admixed together to achieve synergistically each efficacy of thetwo components.

[0061] Although it is hard to fully interpret the results in the aboveTable because an effect through the traditional Chinese medical sciencesometimes surpasses the ability of science, the data are understandableeven when checked from a scientific view only.

[0062] Thus, it was mentioned already that cholic acid has an action ofcarrying the substance necessary for achieving the functions in varioussites of human body through the blood vessel and soybean isoflavones andsoybean isoflavone glycosides have an action of transporting it to sites(such as tissues and body fluid) in which blood vessel is not availableand which is beyond the blood vessel, including spaces (occupying mostof the human body) which are far more than the volume occupied by bloodvessels. If either of the two is inhibited or if either of both actionsthereof is merely activated, it is not possible to convey the substancesnecessary for achieving the function to all areas of the human body.

[0063] A quick ameliorating efficacy on various diseases is not due toan achievement of the direct therapeutic action on each disease but itis due to the fact that either the disease naturally cures because thehuman body comes near the normal state or the body achieves the naturalhealing power to try to fundamentally cure the disease. Thus, unlike inthe Western medical science, it is not the result due to an achievementof the limited action directed to the only one aspect of the disease.

[0064] According to the new medical theory covered by the “Ki-Ketsu-Sui”of the traditional Chinese medical science, it is now expected thateither each effective ingredient of crude drugs having the action of“Ketsu” or a compound having such an action may be used together witheither each effective ingredient of crude drugs having the action of“Sui” or a compound having such an action, thereby leading tosynergistic potentiation of the action independently available by eachingredient or compound in the same way as the joint use of cholic acidin combination with isoflavones and/or isoflavone glycosides,particularly soybean isoflavone and/or soybean isoflavone glycoside,according to the present invention.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0065] In accordance with the present invention, it is possible toachieve prevention of diseases, potentiation of natural healing powerand acceleration of the recovery after diseases by means of food.

[0066] Further, cholic acid, which is one of essential elements for thepresent invention, can be produced in large amounts in the process ofhydrolyzing taurocholic acid to form taurine. The production of cholicacid is more than enough to use as a source for reagents. Most of cholicacid are treated as industrial wastes and are therefore extremelyinexpensive.

[0067] Similarly, soybean isoflavones and soybean isoflavone glycosides,which are one of essential elements for the present invention, arecontained in soybean cakes which are by-products in the productionprocesses of soybean oil. The soybean cakes are produced in largeamounts together with large amounts of soybean oil. Although part ofsuch soybean cakes are employed as sources for preparing soybeanproteins, etc. which are starting materials for food products, thesoybean cake is mainly used for a fertilizer or feed for livestock andits price is therefore extremely low. The soybean cakes which are almostindustrial wastes can be used as starting materials to produceinexpensively soybean isoflavones and soybean isoflavone glycosides withhigh purity.

[0068] Accordingly, the present invention is very advantageous to thesupply of extremely inexpensive health food products.

What is claimed is:
 1. A health food product comprising cholic acid. 2.The health food product of claim 1 wherein at least one member selectedfrom isoflavones and isoflavone glycosides is comprised.
 3. The healthfood product of claim 2 wherein the isoflavones are soybean isoflavonesand the isoflavone glycosides are soybean isoflavone glycosides.
 4. Thehealth food product according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein a vitaminis admixed.
 5. The health food product according to any of claims 1 to 4wherein at least one member selected from crude drugs is admixed.
 6. Thehealth food product according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein the crudedrug is one or more members selected from the group consisting ofGinseng (Panax Ginseng or Ginseng Radix), Codonopsitis Radix,Psuodostellariae Radix, American Ginseng, Astragali Radix, AtractylodisRhizoma, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Glycyrrhia (Glycyrrhizae Radix), JujubeFruit (Zizyphi Fructus, Zizyphus vulgaris), Dulcium (malt sugar derivedfrom Oryza seed), Polygonati Rhizoma, and

(

)(37 SHI-YO-U-JIN” as pronounced in Japanese) .
 7. The health foodproduct according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the crude drug is oneor more members selected from the group consisting of

Crataegi Fructus, Massa Medicata Fermentat, Raphani Semen, FructusHordei Germinatus,

(

) (“KOKU-GA” as pronounced in Japanese; Fructus Oryzae Germinatus),Galli Stomachichum Corium, and Asa Foetida.